Welcome to a cozy mystery with a Carribean flare. Olivia Matthews delivers a cozy mystery that is equal parts a love letter to West Indian and the families that tie to the history of West Indian culture. The characters are lovable and am I crazy to say that I can smell the bakery baked goods from here.

I cannot wait to see where their series goes from here.
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In Olivia Matthews's Against the Currant, the first Spice Isle Bakery Mystery, investigating a murder was never supposed to be on the menu…

Little Caribbean, Brooklyn, New York: Lyndsay Murray is opening Spice Isle Bakery with her family, and it’s everything she’s ever wanted. The West Indian bakery is her way to give back to the community she loves, stay connected to her Grenadian roots, and work side-by-side with her family. The only thing getting a rise out of Lyndsay is Claudio Fabrizi, a disgruntled fellow bakery owner who does not want any competition.

On opening day, he comes into the bakery threatening to shut them down. Fed up, Lyndsay takes him to task in front of what seems to be the whole neighborhood. So when Claudio turns up dead a day later—murdered—Lyndsay is unfortunately the prime suspect. To get the scent of suspicion off her and her bakery, Lyndsay has to prove she’s innocent—under the watchful eyes of her overprotective brother, anxious parents, and meddlesome extended family—what could go wrong?

This culinary mystery was a fun and tasty read. It follows a young woman who is opening a West Indian bakery along with her family in a Brooklyn community she loves. When she has a confrontation with a neighboring bakery owner who turns up dead the next day she becomes the prime suspect in a murder investigation and must figure out a way to clear her name.

I loved the Grenadian representation, the way the whole family was involved and supportive, seeing a young woman gain her confidence, and the yummy food descriptions. The prose seemed a little repetitive to me at times and I didn’t feel like there were a lot of surprises, but it was a quick and enjoyable listen and fit well in the cozy mystery category. The narrator did really well with the different voices and it was a smooth listen.

There are also a couple recipes included and I made the coconut bread which turned out very tasty!

Trigger/content warnings: suicide, murder (nothing graphic at all with either—the book stays very mild).

I first off have to give props to Janina Edwards, the narrator of the audiobook because she does a FANTASTIC job with any book she's given and I enjoy listening to her.

Next, Olivia Matthews, what a great book! I was so happy when researching background information on the book prior to this review to learn that there will be a second book in the series because I want to come back to the Spice Isle Bakery universe again!

We follow Lyndsey (or Lynds) as she finally opens a family owned bake shop! However, the competitor from a few blocks away is trying to ruin this. Lynds stands up for herself, and everyone is happy: until the competition turns up dead, with Lynds named as the prime suspect.

For me, this book was a bit slower paced at the beginning than I prefer books, which is the main reason for my 4/5 star rating. However, after we get past the initial neighborhood descriptions, the action and mystery picks up!

I also loved learning all about currant rolls, West Indies culture, and seeing the family aspect at the forefront of this cozy mystery. I'd highly recommend and can't wait for the second on to come out later this year!

I don’t know what it was about this Audio book but I had a hard time paying attention. It had it at most times and then I truly can’t remember what happened at others. The Narrator did a fantastic job but I just think this book wasn’t for me. I do think the writing was phenomenal and will read other books from this author in the future.

Thank you to Netgalley and Dreamscape Media for the early arc in exchange for a review.

Against the Currant is a cozy little mystery that follows a strong Caribbean woman as she opens a bakery that she runs with her family while also trying to clear her name when the police suspect her of committing a murder.

Honestly, the plot for this book sounded really good, but I just couldn't connect with it. It felt like there was far too much back and forth and my mind started to wander.

Thank you to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

I listened to the audio version of this book and thought Janina Edwards did a very good job narrating. That said, I thought this book was cute but it fell short of the other couple of cozy mystery series I have read (Tita Rosie's Kitchen series by Mia P. Manansala and Aunties series by Jesse Q. Sutanto ).

The story is about Lindsay Murray who, along with her family, opens up a bakery in the Little Caribbean neighborhood in Brooklyn. She is accused of murdering an unpleasant business competitor and and investigates to clear her name and fund the real culprit. I liked learning more about her culture and the delicious sounding food and I liked how close-knit and supportive her family and community were. That said, I felt that the book was somewhat derivative of others in the genre and didn't feel very invested in the characters,

Okay, so try as I might, the best word I can come up with for this book review is - CUTE. It’s got all the right ingredients (oh a pun!) but it just doesn’t add up to more than a regular dish for me. It was more or less ‘closed door’ mystery and then all of a sudden someone’s shooting at our FMC? Spoiler, I know, but she was fine.

I enjoyed listening to this story, the accents and cultural side of the book really lent themselves well to the narration as opposed to the written word on the page and it came alive for me - I truly felt like I was at the restaurant with the delightful cast of characters.

The book was just ok and the narration was good. My longer review I left for the ebook version. Pretty sure I just don’t like cozy mysteries that much, which is admittedly a me problem. The book wasn’t exciting and Grandma was far more interesting than Lyndsay.

If you're a fan of culinary cozy mysteries, especially ones that focus on culture (think "Arsenic and Adobo"), I highly recommend the first of the Spice Isle Bakery Mysteries series "Against the Currant." I loved reading about the community and family support, which highlights the coziness. I'm really looking forward to future books in this series!

This was everything I wanted in a cozy and more!! The bakery being from a Caribbean family helped me learn about several new foods and provided a new spin on the bakery cozy. The family was so supportive and also protective. I loved how they interacted and supported each other. We have an opinionated grandma, a sassy cousin, and a kickboxing main character!
A couple piddly complaints- The police investigation was almost non-existent, but there is room for growth in the next book. The romantic possibilities are questionable, but again I can see room for growth in those characters.
A couple unique things- The main character did not find the body. I liked this! Also the main character will be competing in a kickboxing showcase/ tournament in the future. Lyndsey’s experience with kickboxing really some depth to her character.
The audiobook narrator has a good light accent for some characters and a neutral accent for others. That helped add the some depth to the neighborhood. The audiobook also helped me pick up a few more clues that I didn’t get on my first read.
This is an amazing beginning to a new series.

Well written characters. Nice little cozy mystery. I'm glad this is a series, looking forward to the next book. Thanks to Netgalley for the opportunity to listen to this audiobook

Olivia Matthews' first in her Spice Isle Bakery mystery series is delightful. When Lyndsay Murray opens a family bakery in Little Caribbean, New York, little does she know the impact it will make on her community, her family, and herself. I found Lyndsay and her family warm, intelligent, and caring. I would love to drop by and try some of the exotic flavorings of the West Indies at a table with Lindsay's grandmother and listen to the stories she has to tell. This was more than a well written story, with a solid mystery. It felt like a labor of love, and I cannot wait to visit again.

The narrator was excellent.

I was excited to get a chance to get an audiobook ARC of this book. I have been enjoying cozy mysteries lately and was ecstatic to find one that featured a Caribbean family-owned bakery set in New York City. Lyndsay is framed for the murder of her nemesis, Claudio, who is also a bakery owner after having a huge argument with him the day before. Because of this coincidence, Lyndsay is at the top of the suspect list but she is determined to prove her innocence and launches an investigation to find the actual killer. I enjoyed the audiobook narration but whenever it was supposed to be the grandmother the accent sounded forced and some cultural things didn't seem accurate. There were robust food descriptions, and interesting twists. I loved how close-knit her family was. Overall this was an enjoyable read. 

Thank you, Dreamscape and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I received this book as an arc from NetGalley. This book was actually the very first audio book I've ever listened to, so first and foremost the narration is well done and kept my attention the entire time. The characters are very lovable and the character growth is wholesome. The plot is good, I did figure out who the killer was a little bit past the halfway point but it was still enjoyable to hear the rest of the book! I wish there was a bit more romance as there is some tension between two different characters with the MC. The pacing was a bit slow at first but overall, this was a very cute and enjoyable book! I look forward to reading the rest of the series in the future.

Lyndsay Murray, co-owner of the Spice Isle Bakery is suspected of murdering rival baker Claudio Fabrizi. Plenty of people witnesses the very public blow up between the two, so the Lyndsay’s the prime suspect. With the police seemingly uninterested in looking for other suspects, Lyndsay sets out to suss out the real killer herself. The real attraction with this story is the setting and Lyndsay’s family and her West Indian heritage. An enjoyable read for cozy mystery lovers

The beginning and the ending of the book were the best parts. I felt the story dragged and was repetitive, if I didn't receive the audiobook I probably would've DNF'd this book. The narration was phenomenal and was what kept me engaged and pushed me to finish it. I don't think I'll be revisiting this one. Although I do appreciate the recipes provided at the back of the book.

Thank you to netgalley and publisher for the alc!

It started off a little slow but the pace picked up and I just couldn’t put this book down. The characters were relatable and their motives very believable. Even down to the detective getting tunnel vision and not even bothering to look at other suspects because he felt like he had to prove himself. I was annoyed that Lyndsay still had a crush on him by the end of the book because he didn’t deserve a moment of her time after what he put her through. Lyndsay reminded me a lot of myself and that made the book even more enjoyable for me. Against the Currant was well written and a delight to read. It also made me crave baked goods every time I listened. I will be trying my hand at the recipe shared. I can’t wait to read more from the author.

I really enjoyed the first installment in this series. It was fun to learn a little bit more about Grenadian culture and food! I the specially loved Lyndsey’s feisty grandmother and how they became a team even when her family begged her not to investigate. I loved her sense of justice and proactiveness!

The story moved at a good pace. There were so many different people with a reason to want the victim dead and I loved the reasonings, but at times I feel there were almost too many so it became confusing.

The narrator really brought life to the characters:

Looking forward to the next in the series! Thank you to #NetGalley and #DreamscapeMedia for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Lyndsay and her family open up a bakery in Brooklyn New York. At the soft opening with a store full of people, Lyndsay gets into an argument with another bakery owner, Claudio. Lyndsay throws Claudio out of her bakery and threatens him. The next day Claudio is found murdered and thanks to the store full of people who witnessed Lyndsay threaten him, Lyndsay is suspect number one.

Lyndsay and her family were all such strong characters. Lyndsay's family had her back the entire time, none of them ever doubted her. They are the type of family we can all be lucky enough to have and it came to life with excellent writing.

The mystery was well-crafted and suspenseful. The twist and turns it takes while some were easy to see others caught me by complete surprise.

If you love mysteries then you have to check out Against the Currant.

A pleasant cozy mystery audiobook set in Little Caribbean, Brooklyn, NY.
I loved the premise of this mystery taking place in a West Indian bakery, and that the author (Patricia Sergeant; Olivia Matthews is her pen name) drew from her own family history and the culture of Grenada.
I enjoyed the narration and found it kept me engaged throughout. Was I frustrated by the the obstinate police? Yes! But, frankly, found their stubborn and short-sighted approach to be quite believable. There was some disconnect between the protective family members and the number of times our protagonist found herself alone and vulnerable, but that did move the plot along.
I look forward to the character development of Lyndsay, as this series progresses.

My thanks to Dreamscape Media, and NetGalley, for the audio ARC.